In Pittsburgh and I guess all over the world there are streets, businesses and neighborhoods that are hard to pronounce. Especially if you did not grow up in that area. Just the other day I was listening to the news on several different television stations and they all pronounced the name of Salem’s Market differently. In a few cases you could tell that they were not sure of the pronunciation. I was never sure of it myself as I have heard it pronounced several different ways. This made me wonder if the news stations take the time with newbies and help them with the names of streets and neighborhoods when a new reporter starts on the job. I remember when I was a sales rep, and my boss came out to work with me and could not pronounce any of the areas that we were driving to that day. He had trouble with Duquesne, Zelinople and Tarentum. I always have trouble with some of the street names in Philadelphia. I used to go there often to see relatives. I noticed that the news casters also pronounced many street names differently than the local residents. For instance, Hermitage, Monticello and Larimar. Perhaps we were the ones mispronouncing the streets we grew up around. Sometimes when I hear them say things I want to send a text or call the station. Another name that confuses some of my friends who sell used clothing like I do is the ladies clothing brand Carlisle. Most of them pronounce it like “car- leese” I politely told them it sounds like “car- low. “Like oww something hurts. There is even a pronouncing assistant on the internet where you type in a word, and it says it back to you correctly, a very useful tool indeed.
Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com
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